READING West MP Martin Salter has asked the Trade and Industry Secretary to stamp on plans to open up the postal service to market competition over the next five years.

READING West MP Martin Salter has asked the Trade and Industry Secretary to stamp on plans to open up the postal service to market competition over the next five years.

He believes the proposals by the Postal Services Commission - Postcomm - could mean up to 30,000 postal workers losing their jobs.

He also fears private companies will "cherry pick" the most lucrative urban postal rounds leaving the Royal Mail - now known as Consignia - to carry on delivering to remote, unprofitable areas.

He has written to the Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, asking her to discount the ecommendations by Postcomm which would expose the postal services to market forces by 2006.

He pointed out to Ms Hewitt that the National Audit Office warned that the introduction of competition could result in the breakdown in the delivery of a "universal service at a uniform price".

In his letter he also compared the proposals to the deregulation of buses in 1985 which wiped out large numbers of rural bus services.

He said: "Postcomm's plans could seriously damage the ability of Consignia to deliver mail to all parts of the UK.

"I'm calling on the Government to bin these barmy proposals that could lead to private companies cherry picking the profitable rounds and leaving remote areas without an adequate service."

The Communication Workers' Union at the Reading West delivery office in Loverock Road contacted Mr Salter urging him to oppose Postcomm's plans.

Pete Absolom, unit representative for the CWU, wrote to Mr Salter about the "devastating news regarding the future of Royal Mail and the apparent lack of concern shown by the Government".

He added: "We are sick to the teeth of the media's coverage of the plight of the nurses, teachers, police etc and never is the question raised about the pitiful earnings of the postie."

He described his fellow postal workers as "dispirited, demotivated and worried" by the proposals.

The public consultation on Postcomm's recommendation runs until March 15.

Consignia is currently losing £1.5

million a day, mainly on letter deliveries - it costs the company 28p to deliver each 27p first class letter.